Baden turns empty office block into workplace community

Baden is transforming a once-empty office building into a workplace with homes, fitness facilities and restaurants, aiming to make it feel like a community, Swiss broadcaster SRF reports.

The Konnex office complex in Baden Nord was renovated at a cost of more than 70 million francs. Its 42,000 square metres include workspaces, a restaurant, fitness facilities, showers and furnished apartments for people working in Baden temporarily. The building is now almost fully rented.

The concept, described by marketing manager Anke Claussen as a “city within a city”, is intended to bring employees back to the office by offering a place where they can feel at home. Its newest tenant, consumer credit bank Cembra, is moving its headquarters from Zurich and bringing around 600 jobs to the building.

The glass-and-steel complex was built in the 1990s by architect Theo Hotz. ABB, Alstom and GE were among the companies previously based there. As those companies cut jobs, the office space emptied, and the building became increasingly deserted during the coronavirus pandemic. Its owners, the Basel-Stadt pension fund and the UBS pension fund, then developed the new concept.

Researchers say shared facilities could make better use of office space, while on-site restaurants and leisure options might reduce some journeys. But home working remains popular, in part because it eliminates commuting and can make it easier to focus, according to Thomas Bauer of the trade union umbrella organisation Travail Suisse.